Maratha protesters disrupt highways on sixth day of reservation rally

Supporters of the Maratha community’s demand for reservation benefits entered their sixth day of protest on Thursday, deliberately sealing off several national highways across Maharashtra, according to police statements reported by The Hindu. The roadblocks stretched along the Mumbai‑Nagpur corridor and the Pune‑Solapur stretch, causing significant traffic snarls and prompting authorities to deploy additional forces to keep the arteries open.

Police officials said the number of people converging on the protest’s focal point, Antarwali Sarati, has continued to climb since the demonstration began. “We are seeing a steady influx of participants, and the crowd size is larger than on previous days,” the department noted, adding that the gathering is now being described as a mass movement rather than a localized sit‑in.

In a coordinated move to amplify pressure on the state government, a bandh was declared in the district of Jalna on Thursday. Local organizers urged residents to shut down commercial activity and public transport as a sign of solidarity with the Maratha cause. The bandh, while largely peaceful, added to the economic disruption already felt in the region due to the highway closures.

The protest stems from a long‑standing demand by the Maratha community for inclusion in the state’s reservation quota for education and government jobs. In 2018, the Maharashtra government announced a 16‑percent reservation for Marathas, a decision later struck down by the Supreme Court in 2021 for exceeding the 50‑percent ceiling set by the Constitution. Since then, the community has staged periodic rallies, with the current wave focusing on a renewed legal push and political negotiations.

Blocking national highways is a tactic that has been employed in past Indian protests to draw national attention and force a swift response from policymakers. While the immediate effect is traffic disruption, the broader aim is to underscore the community’s resolve and compel the state to revisit its stance on reservation policy. Analysts note that prolonged road blockades could pressure the government to engage in dialogue, but they also risk alienating commuters and businesses that rely on these routes.

Authorities have warned that any escalation could lead to stricter law‑enforcement measures, including the use of barricade removal teams and potential arrests. As the protest enters its second week, both sides appear poised for a tense standoff, with the outcome likely to influence the future of reservation politics in Maharashtra.